Topband: Power line communication (PLC) - Trends in Holland

[k3ky@erols.com]

Hi, Brad-
You make some interesting points! Please see my comments
below...

On 13 Feb 2002 at 16:26, Brad Rehm wrote:
    (snip)
> There isn't much public awareness of what we do, and we've got to be
> vigilant if we want to preserve our hobby.
> 
> We also need to remember that ours is not the only service that's
> threatened.
    (snip)
> Competition for spectrum is going to continue.  Not all the players
> are going to know what they're doing.  There aren't enough good RF
> people to go around.  We're going to have to live in this environment
    (snip)
> The battle over these sloppy technologies is going to be fought by far
> bigger players than we are.  We're not alone.  It's paranoid to think
> we're the only ones who're affected.  It makes more sense to look for
> allies and to work on technologies which allow us to do what we do in
> the midst of all the interference.  We claim, after all, to understand
> communication and communication technology.  Let's do what we do best.
> 
> 73,
> Brad, KV5V
> 
There is nothing wrong with being paranoid when there actually
is a crowd behind you with torches and pitchforks and they are
gaining on you...  :o)
Metaphorically, this is the situation of ham radio today. Heaven
help the poor ham who faces an unfair lawsuit over neighbor
interference involving RFI-prone consumer electronics-
such frivolous lawsuits are becoming increasingly common. Even
worse, some hams in their ignorance fail to invoke federal
premption when confronted by local authorities, and we all know
that once a ham subordinates his rights to local regulators, he
loses his federal protections. Many cases are lost in just this
way- a naïve ham mishandles the initial contact when a Sherrif's
deputy appears at his front door.
We may have common cause with agencies that rely on radio
communications that affect safety and the delivery of life-
saving services, etc., but it is an open question whether the hams
with their unique charter and practices would mesh well with these
other radio services in the real world of litigation. Generally, the
well-financed corporations are a juggernaut, rolling over the
competition and essentially burying them, although the "Little
LEO's" controversy is enlightening as to its unexpected outcome
(to date- they are not totally dead yet).
Perhaps these noisy digital communications services will come
and go. After all, hams had to live with LORAN on 160m for many
years, but it was eventually retired. We outlasted them (and at
least managed to peacefully coexist- 160m is way better today!)
I hope that some day networks will be totally fiber *and* RFI
immune (a tall order!) Then we will start to have peace and
quiet on the low bands once again.  :o)    73, David K3KY